Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kandy and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandy: $513 a month against $1,393 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
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Kandy Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index

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Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,393

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kandy and in Ankara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kandy and in Ankara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $513 per month in Kandy vs $1,393 in Ankara, rent included.

Kandy $513
Ankara $1,393

A couple spends around $728 per month in Kandy vs $2,079 in Ankara, rent included.

Kandy $728
Ankara $2,079

A family of three spends $943 per month in Kandy vs $2,765 in Ankara, rent included.

Kandy $943
Ankara $2,765

Kandy is about 63% cheaper than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kandy sits 62% below the global median, while Ankara is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 LKR 885

$9.90 ₺493

-73.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.01 LKR 4,324

$42.89 ₺2,137

-69.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 LKR 1,996

$9.31 ₺464

-35.55%

Cappuccino

$1.90 LKR 632

$4.15 ₺207

-54.22%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 LKR 174

$1.66 ₺82.6

-68.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 LKR 87.1

$0.76 ₺37.94

-65.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 LKR 620

$5.15 ₺257

-63.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 LKR 931

$5.85 ₺292

-52.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 382

$1.20 ₺59.9

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$0.99 ₺49.46

-47.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$2.15 ₺107

-64.19%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$2.69 ₺134

-36.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 LKR 1,708

$10.22 ₺510

-49.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 LKR 1,412

$5.45 ₺272

-22.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 LKR 2,285

$20.32 ₺1,013

-66.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 LKR 1,043

$1.91 ₺95.0

64.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 280

$2.28 ₺113

-63.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 LKR 574

$1.27 ₺63.2

36.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 429

$1.64 ₺81.7

-21.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$0.67 ₺33.28

52.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 277

$0.57 ₺28.55

45.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 LKR 144

$1.03 ₺51.3

-58.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$0.64 ₺31.69

-34.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.02 LKR 2,668

$2.19 ₺109

266.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 LKR 3,751

$12.46 ₺621

-9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$2.24 ₺112

-13.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 LKR 691

$3.11 ₺155

-33.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 53.3

$0.82 ₺40.87

-80.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.38 LKR 1,457

$11.86 ₺591

-63.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$1.28 ₺63.8

-67.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.81 ₺40.61

-56.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 156

$6.46 ₺322

-92.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 383

$1.40 ₺69.7

-17.86%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

$47.9K ₺2.4M

-70.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

$40.3K ₺2.0M

-8.92%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

$93.1 ₺4,639

-36.61%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$3.86 LKR 1,282

$10.72 ₺534

-63.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.72 LKR 4,227

$17.87 ₺891

-28.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.85 LKR 3,606

$72.2 ₺3,597

-84.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 LKR 2,262

$15.34 ₺765

-55.67%

Cinema Ticket

$2.74 LKR 909

$8.04 ₺401

-65.92%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$21.65 LKR 7,199

$1,032 ₺51.4K

-97.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$304 LKR 101.0K

$19.2K ₺955.7K

-98.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 LKR 6,078

$53.4 ₺2,659

-65.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.15 LKR 3,375

$48.30 ₺2,407

-78.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

$104 ₺5,196

-35.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.56 LKR 8,831

$96.0 ₺4,786

-72.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$765 ₺38.1K

-77.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 LKR 37.5K

$569 ₺28.4K

-80.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$1,127 ₺56.2K

-84.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

$893 ₺44.5K

-89.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$397 LKR 131.9K

$1,678 ₺83.6K

-76.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$400 LKR 133.0K

$1,158 ₺57.7K

-65.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 LKR 86.9K

$1,053 ₺52.5K

-75.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

-72.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ankara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kandy

$166 32.3%

Ankara

$254 18.2% 53% $88

Accommodation & Living

Kandy

$113 22%

Ankara

$569 40.9% 404% $456

Eating Out

Kandy

$80 15.6%

Ankara

$204 14.7% 155% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kandy

$76 14.7%

Ankara

$122 8.7% 61% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Kandy

$55 10.8%

Ankara

$136 9.8% 146% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Kandy

$16 3.2%

Ankara

$88 6.3% 441% $72

Getting Around

Kandy

$7.2 1.4%

Ankara

$21 1.5% 186% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $172 in Kandy versus $765 in Ankara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ankara are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Kandy versus $43 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $254 – making Kandy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kandy

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

21:34 9:34 PM

2 h 30 min behind Kandy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,000

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.48 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kandy Ankara 5,970 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Kandy
Ankara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kandy vs Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 171% more than Kandy, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $770 per month in Kandy and $2,090 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kandy, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $172 there versus $765 in Ankara.

Kindergarten costs $22 per month in Kandy and $1,032 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Ankara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kandy, where all-in costs run around $513, than in Ankara at $1,393. In Kandy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kandy costs $513 versus $1,393 in Ankara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kandy. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.